Britain’s biggest clothing retailer has been forced to stage a major reorganisation after failing to persuade international director Jan Heere not to jump ship.

Under-pressure chief executive Marc Bolland has shaken up his board for the first time since joining three years ago, as he struggles to turn the business around ahead of next week’s keenly anticipated first quarter sales update.

Wade-Gery
will add the entire 800 UK store network to her responsibilities. It is
the first time in M&S’s history that a female executive will run the
retail business.

The
former Tesco director masterminded M&S’s new website and her new
duties will mean this is more connected with the physical store network.

The
firm said: ‘To ensure one view of the customer Laura Wade-Gery,
executive director, multi-channel, assumes responsibility for UK Retail,
in addition to her current M&S.com remit.’

But
in a major setback to M&S’s international strategy international
director Heere became the latest executive to head for the exit. Last
month Heere’s previous employer, Zara-owner Inditex, attempted to lure
him back.

M&S had fought to keep Heere, one of Bolland’s first appointments on taking office.

More...

But
it has moved fast to fill his role by handing responsibility for the
overseas arm to Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne alongside his current
responsibilities for marketing. This is the first time the growing
international division is represented directly at board level.

Costas
Antimissaris has been appointed international director, reporting to
Bousquet-Chavanne and M&S said: ‘Jan Heere, current International
Director, is leaving the business to return to Russia.’

The
Spaniard, who speaks five languages, has been integral to M&S’s
foreign growth strategy,

recently announcing plans for 250 stores in
India, China, Russia and the Middle East with franchise partners.

M&S
has come full circle, having reversed a decision
to retrench international strategy to focus on fixing the troubled home
market.

In annual results last month it said overseas sales had grown 6.2 per cent to £1.15bn.

Under-pressure: Marc Bolland has shaken up his board for the first time since joining three years ago

Bolland
said: ‘We now have the right infrastructure in place to take our
business forward, and as we enter the next phase of our plan, we need to
make sure our team structures allow us to move with pace, simplicity
and speed.’

Heere
is the latest in a string of departures. After clothing chief Kate
Bostock jumped ship, marketing director Steve Sharp went and there have
also been some middle-ranking defections. A property director and IT
director both left the firm earlier this year.

Finance
director Alan Stewart will add property to his responsibilities. Hugo
Adams, currently executive assistant to Bolland, has been appointed
property director, reporting in to Stewart.

Bolland
is likely to come under fire from investors at M&S’s annual meeting
next week following a disappointing performance in the clothing
business. Ladieswear appears to have lost market share and M&S has
not benefited in better market conditions that have boosted its rivals.

Clive
Black, an analyst at broker Shore Capital, said: ‘That weak apparel
performance comes back to the legacy of many years of poor ranges and,
frankly, brand damage that M&S is seeking to overcome in the UK with
respect to its core clothing offer. Whilst many commentators see
demonstrable progress at the cat walk level, it does not seem to be
leading to stronger consumer interest on the shop floor.’